matching numbers

What exactly is meant by 'matching numbers'? I assume it means a car that has all original parts has numbers on the main components that match that particuliar car. The reason I ask is, I had tranny rebuilt on my Mazda 626 and I suspect that the tranny was replaced with a used tranny, and I was charged $1560.00 bucks for it. This was over a year ago. My receipt has "transmission rebuild". After I had this work done, I found out this guy had done a similiar scam on another guy once and went to court over it. Be nice if I had some recourse if I found this is the case with his work for me. People like that have no business working for the puplic.

Numbers matching is irrelevant for anything but a classic or collectible. It is as you say. Any parts stamped with a vin # (typically the tranny or engine) match the dashboard Vin.

For example, both my 80 Turbo and my 79 10th Anniversary are #s matching as the block ID # matches the dash vin. Now, on my 79, the starter was changed, so in such case, I will just seek a correctly dated #1108759 and it will be right. There is no VIN # stamped on a starter for instance.

Onto your problem, that is something different. If you were charged for a rebuilt tranny, that means:

1) Either rebuilding your original one with new parts.
2) Rebuilding another used core with new parts.
3) Buying an off the shelf unit with new parts, either from his tranny parts supplier or his own shelf.

He could have used a junkyard core and rebuilt that one....that's fine. Typically they paint and clean the cores though.

It was not shifting when I first bought it. I took it to a guy that has worked at one of the better known trans shops in town for about 30 years. I knew him growing up too, sorta. Supposed to be one of, if not the best in town. He was supposed to rebuild it. After not hearing from him for about a week, I called him about it. He said he had 3 to work on, and if I wanted him to, he would take one off the rack and put mine on. Said he would have it ready the next day! This after we had looked all over town for the parts and or a used trans. Could not find any. I had called his supplier to check on some kind of deal he talked about on trans that come out of Texas for about $11/$1250 counting his swapping them out. They did not know what I was talking about. Thats when I called him ( about mid morning or noon ) and he told me he could have it ready the next day. When I got it the next day, I was just glad it would change gears. The longer I kept it , the mor eI noticed it did not seem to change smooth like it should. Still a hard shift at certain speeds. Seems to be worse at low speeds. Later when I was under the car for some reason, I noticed what looked like might have been traces of dirt doppers on the pan, dry like it had been out of a car for quite a while at some point.

If you paid for rebuilt tranny and it doesn't act like one (shift smoothly), then the repair is faulty. Bottom line. A rebuilt tranny should be as good as new because there really aren't many applictions where a "New" tranny can be had. Even OEM sells factory rebuilts in most cases.

If it doesn't work, bring it back and have him make good on it. Otherwise, time to sue.

I have done MINOR repairs on cars but nothing big. I have a problem. While rebuilding my carb. on my '81 celica a couple of vacuum hoses got crossed. Does anyone know where I can get a diagram to replace them. Pictures would be nice if possible. Refer back to the first sentence. Thanks for your help. Dale

When checking older coils (point type ignition) with an ohmeter from the tower to the distributor side and you get no reading, does it mean it is bad?
I'm talking about somewhere near 1969 302 engine. The plugs do not seem to be firing like they should. When the car is put in gear, it does not want to run, almost like no spark advance. When I pull the wires while it is running, it does not seem to affect the engine much, if any.
It has headers on it, and I have not checked compression on the cylinders yet. These headers are a pain to work with. If I can get the engine to smooth out with the point system, I most likely will change to electronic ignition, but for now I want to get a general feel of what condition the motor is in.